Not all people live where they can hire a painting contractor, like you describe. People who live in small towns can only hire painters who have a very small business, and do two or three paint jobs per week. In this case, you do have to be very careful, when you hire a painter, as we have several, in our area, who are out to make a fast buck anyway they can.

This was very helpful. I wonder if i would really follow through and check to see if my painter was cheating me. I used a painter I found on Angie's List. This was 5 years ago. He did a great job. I know he did patching only for about a day and a half. We decided on the kind of paint before he started. that is what he used. I don't know if I could stay on top of him and watch him open every can of paint.

Spills and spatters happen, regardless of how careful you are. It’s a lot easier to pre- pare for them than to wipe them out of your carpeting or off your wood floor later. All it takes is canvas drop cloths in your work area (a 4-ft. x 15-ft. cloth costs $15). The thick canvas stays in place, so you don’t need to tape it, and you can use it to cover any surface. Plastic drop cloths are slippery to walk on or set a ladder on and don’t stay in place. Even worse, paint spills on plastic stay wet, and they can end up on your shoes and get tracked through the house. Canvas is slippery on hard ﬂoors, so rosin paper ($10 for 400 sq. ft. at home centers) is better over vinyl, tile and hard- wood. Tape the sheets together and to the ﬂoor to provide a nonslip surface.

If you're going to do any part of the painting or prep work on your own, you must know that the first step in preparing a surface is washing it. Since dirt can affect the smoothness of a surface area -- and therefore paint's adhesion to it -- use soap to remove any dirt or stains. Make sure there's no soap left on the walls when you're finished; also make sure to remove any gloss with sandpaper and vacuum up the leftover dust.
If your home was built before 1979, the paint might contain lead, which is extremely hazardous to children age 6 and younger. Call your local public health department for information on how to check for lead and handle lead paint safely. For a free booklet on dealing with lead paint, contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at www.epa.gov/lead.
Our nineteen year old home needed a new paint job. We didn't know which company to choose. After reading many reviews about painters in Salem, we chose to go with Jim at Your Home Painting. We are sure glad we did! First of all, you will be hard pressed to find a nicer and more honest person than Jim. Second, he is VERY skilled in his craft. Our home looks BEAUTIFUL! The quality of the paint job is second to none. Jim also provided a color consultant. This is something that we would never have thought of. We had Shannon from Shannon Campbell Designs out to our home, and we went with colors that again, we would have never thought of. Our home colors are beautiful, and we have NEVER seen out exact color combo! Trust me, we spent literally months looking at homes, websites, etc to choose our colors. Jim and his crew pressure washed, prepped, and painted the house quickly. They left NO mess. Our painted decks were a total mess. They were so ugly that we used to close the slider door blinds when guests came over. Jim explained the correct paint to use so the deck could "breathe" and guaranteed that the decks paint won't peel again. Speaking of guarantees: Jim will come out annually for three years to inspect the paint, make sure all is well, and that we are happy. And finally, Jim told us that the paint job didn't require as much time to paint and prep it, so Jim cut the price of the job by $700.00! He could have kept the money and we still would have been thrilled. We were beside ourselves with Jim's honesty. This type of customer service is sorely lacking in our society. Bottom line: If your house needs paint, search no further. Call Jim and your problem is solved! Stewart & Christine West Salem 2017 UPDATE: Jim stopped by every year as promised. He inspected the entire exterior of our house and made sure that there were no problems whatsoever. The house still looks freshly painted three years later. Thanks Jim!

I have a Home Improvement/Painting business, and Angie's List always advertises that that everyone is out to get them. Of course there are people who try to take advantage of homeowners My reputation and repeat business is based on word of mouth. Shoddy work is always a way to get put out of business quick. As far as strictly painting, preparation is a big factor in getting a quality paint job. If you don't prepare the surfaces you are painting you are spinning your wheels, and wasting money, no matter what paint you use. Getting a deposit from a customer is beneficial, but not always necessary. Sometimes it is a godsend, when you get stuck by the customer, which has happened to me more than once

I do not mean to come off with an edge, however, this is an article for people hiring low bid, uninsured, one man band painters out to "hustle" a buck. Hire reputable, established companies or hire someone you know or have a strong referral from. If you are arguing over watered down paint, ticky, tacky deposits, buying your own supplies, you have hired the wrong guy.
You’ll easily find the best interior paint colors for your home, from the top brands, here online and at your local Home Depot. Our knowledgeable store associates can help you color-match paint from almost any brand to get the shade of your desire. We’ve also got you covered on all the essential painting supplies, including paint brushes, tarps, drop cloths, plastic sheeting and more.
Good contracts include descriptions of prep work and repairs; paint specs by brand name, type, color and product number; the number of coats; and a full description of the work, including frequently omitted items such as cabinet interiors and shutters. Minimize delays by specifying that, weather permitting, work will be continuous. Get a payment schedule that minimizes the down payment — the more payment you can withhold until the end, the more leverage you'll have to get the job done well and per your specifications. Insist that contractors provide proof that they carry both general liability and workers' compensation coverage.
Third: The contractor buys the materials. We get them at a better rate and customers really don't know what they are getting into by being a material racer. Once again, I'm not referring to the guys that paint a bedroom or 2 a week. Tell the homeowner to go grab 50 gallons of paint, $300.00 worth of sundries and related job cost items and I'd be interested to see how it works for them....IT WILL NOT. And if were talking about people getting taken advantage of here, the paint suppliers with no relationship to a homeowner will 100% GOUGE the customer and completely take advantage of them with pricing. Contractors will pay nearly half the price and will still save the customers money marking up paint 10-15%.

Hello, My name is Steve I’ve been in trades for more than 20 years. I have an extensive skill set and expertise in many diverse areas, from custom painting to landscaping architecture; just to name a few. Here is a list of some of the many skills I offer. Audio/ Video (TV, Surround Sound, Smart Home, security) Electrical, Plumbing, Drywall Repairs, Furnishing, Flooring, Furnishing, Roofing & More

Freshly painted walls often look blotchy. The color is uniform, but the sheen isn’t consistent. This usually occurs over the holes and cracks you patched with a filler or drywall compound. The porous fillers absorb the paint, dulling the surface (a problem called “flashing”). When light hits these dull spots, they stick out like a sore thumb. The smooth patch also stands out in contrast to the slightly bumpy texture of the rest of the wall. A quick coat of primer is all it takes to eliminate ﬂashing and texture differences.
Historically, the painter was responsible for the mixing of the paint; keeping a ready supply of pigments, oils, thinners and driers. The painter would use his experience to determine a suitable mixture depending on the nature of the job. In modern times, the painter is primarily responsible for preparation of the surface to be painted, such as patching holes in drywall, using masking tape and other protection on surfaces not to be painted, applying the paint and then cleaning up.[2]
Residential house painters on the Handy platform have used countless gallons of paint and tons of brushes over the years. With a wealth of experience under their belts, they know the best, quickest and most cost-effective ways to get the work done. From how to achieve that perfect glossy finish to ensuring no paint drips onto your crown molding, you might find yourself picking up a few tips!
If you’re looking for information on a professional painting company in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro, you’ve come to the right place. Providing the Twin Cities with durable, residential interior and exterior painting is the reason we’re here—and we go far beyond that valued service for our customers. The “Plus” in Durahome Painting Plus offers our talents, skills and high standards to take care of other home improvement projects as well. Just check out our list of Services to find those that might interest you. • One room or the whole house? Applying one coat in one room is a reasonable DIY Saturday project (especially if you have help and beer). Multiply the time spent moving furniture, prepping walls and sanding old trim by the number of rooms in the house, and you might want to hire real help. It's the same outside. You can probably tackle one shady garage wall that needs a little scraping and sanding plus a coat of paint, but covering all surfaces of the house is usually best left to a pro. Maybe you've just moved into a new home, and you haven't got around to buying brushes and rollers yet. Perhaps you're worried that your brush-skills aren't that good, and you won't achieve that professional-looking finish that you’re really going for. Handy professionals will turn up with everything they need to get the job done, from ladders and brushes, to rollers and tarps. You just have to provide the interior paint and primer!

Being in the business for 25+ years I have had the privilege of working with thousands of clients. Although they all came from different circumstances and backgrounds they all had one common goal in mind. Every one of them wanted to be respected, receive top value for their money, and get the best possible paint job for their most prized possession, their house!

When you’re ready to tackle your next paint project, we offer an amazing choice of colors from top paint brands, at the best price, and expert know-how to help you do the job right. Whether you’re making a colorful update to the interior or exterior of your home or working on a unique DIY project, you can really pour on the creativity with our unmatched selection of paints and exterior stains, craft supplies like chalkboard paint, stencils, glitter, or even glow in the dark spray paint. You should also check out our paint project and buying guides as well as The Home Depot Blog for current paint trends, popular color palettes and paint craft ideas. For all your painting needs, small and large, we’ve got you covered at The Home Depot.

Repaint — exteriors especially — before visible signs of wear appear, Bancroft says. Don’t wait until you see peeling or flaking paint. “If I have to spend 40 hours preparing the surface before we can paint, that time is going to result in a lot of extra costs. But if I can spend 10 hours preparing the surfaces to be painted, you’re going to save money,” Freeman says.
I would never suggest that one of my clients buy their own paint because A . They will pay an average of $20 to $30 more per gallon which could add up to $1,000 or more to a full repaint B. most times I'm in the paint store homeowners are kind of pushed to the foreground as they handle all the contractors in the store and C. Paint is heavy, takes up a lot of room needs to be left in it clean dry area and I hate to put a client to work when they are trying to hire me to do their job.

Excellent advice because there are many unskilled workers who are "trying to pull the wool over the customers eyes". One has to study about the project for which they are in need. I happen to need dry wall repair and painting done in my home and feel the advice in this article will be a great help to me in hiring someone who is ethical and does good work. Thanks.